Live from the ballyard: Smoltzie and I avoid each other!
I spent about a half-hour in and around the Red Sox clubhouse, and I should tell you the Red Sox have a great vibe about them. Kind of like the old Braves, only a tad livelier, and nothing like the new Yankees, who come across as spoiled and surly. The Red Sox, I can report, have a splendid mix of guys.
And now you’re wondering: Amid this splendid mix, did I encounter My Favorite Pitcher in said clubhouse? Not really. (Nor did I go looking for him, or he, I feel sure, for me.) My Favorite Pitcher and I almost crossed paths when the Sox were preparing for batting practice, but we both turned our heads. (We’re really good at this, as you may know.)
I can also tell you I’m writing a little something for Sunday print — and for posting here later today — on Red Sox manager Terry Francona, whom I see as the New Bobby Cox. (And I mean that, Larry, as the highest possible compliment.) Francona is a delightful conversationalist, and we media types got to talking with him about Michael Jordan — whom Tito, as he’s known, managed in Birmingham in 1994 — and then we got around to Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith.
And I’m thinking, “Gee, Bobby Cox never has that sort of conversation with the media.” But lo and behold, I walk across to Cox’s Batcave and he brings up Michael Jackson, and then John Schuerholz, who’s sitting there, asks Cox what was the first record he ever bought, and Cox says he never bought a record in his life and Schuerholz says his was “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets. And there we went.
I brought up the Temptations and the Supremes as my first recorded purchase. Dave O’Brien mentioned Wild Cherry. (I swear.) Then we got going on Kiss — O’Brien’s first concert, you should know — and Mark Lemke said something about Gene Simmons that I choose not to reproduce here.
And now you’re up to date on all essential baseball matters. And if you’d care to share your feelings about Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson or Anna Nicole Smith or Gene Simmons or even this afternoon’s Braves-Red Sox game … well, I’ll be happy to chat back all afternoon long.
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227 comments Add your comment
a643dp
June 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
If we dont score in the next inning these are the offensive numbers it makes me want to puke.
9 times braves have been shutout (12%)
6 times braves have scored one run (8%)
11 times braves have scored two runs (15%)
35% of the time the Braves cant score more than 2 runs a game
The average MLB baseball game total score is around 9.6 runs a game
The Braves have only scored more than 5 runs in 24 games(32%)
68% the time the Braves are below average offensively
And Wren, Bobby and TP still have jobs.
Reid Adair
June 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
Mark, it hasn’t been just you. There have been many people (MANY) from the discussions all the way back on the Glavine deal who said they believed the offense would turn it around, get some consistency and get this team to the playoffs.
I really don’t see that happening. At least, not with this current lineup.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
6:48 pm
Papelbon throwing mid-90s, according to the stadium gun. Chipper fouling off Strike 3. He’s not a bad ballplayer, either.
All I'm Saying Is...
June 27th, 2009
6:48 pm
Jman: you and everyone who feels that way about Yunel are dumber than a rock. I have read person after person talk about Yunel but no one consistently writes about how crappy KJ, Kotchman, and Francoeur are or how we should replace them but let Yunel botch a play or flip his helmet the ‘wrong’ way and everybody wants to trade him. And now, you have the nerve to compare Yunel to Milton Bradley? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve read in a long time. Plus, given the way our team is playing, you want to trade him? What, you don’t think the rest of the league is aware of his talent and will somehow give us back someone close to his equal or someone who might be better? I mean do you even think that, say, Texas will take him and trade us back Elvis? Yeah, they are that dumb.
We need to spend more time correcting our obvious deficiencies at RF, 1B, and 2B instead of worrying about or trying to trade away Escobar.
At a minimum, we need to give Yunel (this is only his 3rd full year in majors) at least as many years to get it together as we apparently are going to give Francoeur (this is his 4th full year in the majors).
Michael
June 27th, 2009
6:48 pm
The Anderson discussion reminds me of an article in Baseball Prospectus this winter that made the point that the Braves should have spent extra money on Dunn or Abreu because they were a left-fielder from being a playoff team and making the playoffs would pay for the extra payroll. Think about that as we’re four games out with two of the weakest corner outfielders in baseball.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
6:49 pm
But No. 10 pops up eight feet from home. Two outs to go.
Ken Stallings
June 27th, 2009
6:49 pm
“That wouldn’t be a home run in a phone booth!” — Harry Caray.
I don’t think Chip would mind me quoting his grandfather!
mike
June 27th, 2009
6:50 pm
Clearly this team is poised for a run. After a great start to this homestand, I think the only standing between us and the division title is the Nationals. Hope we can hold them off.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
Nasty slider. McCann swings over it for Strike 2. And then hits one to warning track, where Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury collide but Drew gloves the ball. One out left, and …. look, it’s Glidin’ Garret!
Necromancer
June 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
Sounds more like the Braves are playing at Fenway Park..
very sad…
Gaijin
June 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
That’s the JD I know – he always did play JUST for himself – wish they would have dropped the ball!
All I'm Saying Is...
June 27th, 2009
6:53 pm
Glidin Garret is batting .280. What’s Francoeur up to?
All I'm Saying Is...
June 27th, 2009
6:54 pm
And signing Adam ‘Mr. Whiff’ Dunn isn’t going to get it done, Bradley. What about 2B and 1B? Do you have any suggestions about filling those holes? Or are you going to write about Escobar or type Glidin Garrett again?
Reid Adair
June 27th, 2009
6:54 pm
Ken Stallings, the payroll with Liberty is actually a bit HIGHER than it was in the last year or so with Time-Warner.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
6:55 pm
And Garret Anderson doubles past Ellsbury to the gap! Keep hope alive!
Gaijin
June 27th, 2009
6:56 pm
GA just teasing us – c’mon – let’s NOT go 0 for 17 w/runners in scoring position!
Gaijin
June 27th, 2009
6:56 pm
Ok – I think they’re on TBS tomorrow – so I get to watch them TRY to hit tomorrow. What a tremendously disappointing exhibition the Braves put on today!!!
They do lead the league in being shutout – is that an offensive category? Or simply offensive to fans?
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
6:56 pm
Casey Kotchman at the plate. Swings at first pitch. Grounds to second. Ballgame.
mike
June 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
What a great piece of hitting by Kotchman. Another great effort from the JV squad.
Ken Stallings
June 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
Mark, turn out the lights on your way out. I think you might be the last one left!
Reid Adair
June 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
And so much for the glimmer of hope that Papelbon gave the Braves on the double by Garret Anderson. Nice roller by Kotchman to end the game.
One run in 18 innings. Javier Vazquez has to be loving today’s offense.
All I'm Saying Is...
June 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
Adam Dunn’s strikeouts in a season:
2008 164Ks in 517 At Bats
2007 165Ks in 522 At Bats
2006 194Ks in 561 At Bats
(anyone notice a trend here?—apparently not Bradley.)
Curtis Jones
June 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
Shouldn’t Kotchman’s jersey # be 43? So we’ll go ahead and put that in our scorebook before he swings the bat?
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
6:58 pm
And the Bravos still haven’t won a series since Memorial Day. And they’re now five games out of first. And their next four games are against division leaders.
Wasn’t it just last Wednesday I was being all optimistic? Am I an idiot or what?
All I'm Saying Is...
June 27th, 2009
6:59 pm
Way to come through with a double GA right after Bradley makes another one of his asinine comments. And what did Mr. Kotchman do? Swings at the first pitch to end the game but doe we have a nickname for Kotchman’s season long stint of mediocrity, Bradley? Huh? Do we? Still want us to trade for Adam ‘Special K’ Dunn?
mike
June 27th, 2009
6:59 pm
Yes.
Ken Stallings
June 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
If you are, then take a number!
mike
June 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
Enter your comments here
Rogers Nelson
June 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
Trade Francouer and KJ both for one power hitting outfielder, put Infante at 2nd when he gets back, and then we’ve got the Division.
Shadetree
June 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
Disgusting is all I can say about the Braves
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
Headed downstairs for incisive interviews. Wanna bet Balls 3 and 4 to Ortiz are mentioned in the Braves’ clubhouse?
You all have it for a few minutes, and I’ll check back.
braves70
June 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
Glad that snooze fest is over. Now we can watch the AAA G-Braves on CS Sports and we might see a Brave actually score a run.
StingerSplash
June 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
A good AB by Anderson. Prado also has played well of late (don’t know if he’s a 500 AB a season guy, but he is valuable).
But this still a fairly punchless lot. Red Sox crew was effusive in their praise of McCann all day long.
Stating the Obvious
June 27th, 2009
7:02 pm
Yes, you are ain idiot.
BTW – There probably isn’t more than 15,000 BoSox fans there, but 15,000 FANS will always make more noise than 35,000 spectators.
mike
June 27th, 2009
7:02 pm
Look at the bright side, Bennett didn’t blow the lead today. See….we’re making progress. Now, who else can we get to break their hand?
dawgfan1911
June 27th, 2009
7:02 pm
Every last hitter that played today should donate a game salary check to some charity. Watching the Braves is just down right boring and disappointing. Why is Terry pendalton still the hitting coach? Hell why is Bobby Cox still here for that matter but I alreay know the answer to that. Man after garret Anderson fights of several pitches and gets a doouble Kotchman swings at the first pitch for a ground out. Clean House get rid of the old useless players. They are just collecting a pay check
All I'm Saying Is...
June 27th, 2009
7:02 pm
Remain optimistic, Bradley, because as long as we are within 10 games of first, we still have a shot.
What you might want to do is criticize all of the Braves contributing to our poor record — how about calling out Kotchman and Kelly Johnson instead of spending all of your time on GA? And please come up with a better suggestion than trading (of all things) for Adam Dunn. We already have a huge sucking sound in our line-up and the last thing we need to do is add Dunn and his strikeout ratio of once every 3 to 4 at bats.
Rogers Nelson
June 27th, 2009
7:03 pm
Can we put David Ross in right field?
Shadetree
June 27th, 2009
7:03 pm
If I was Vasquez I would want them to trade me. Again, disgusting.
Shadetree
June 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
Why would the Marlins trade Ross. Heck, they’re probably going to win the division. I would take Dunn’s stirkeout every 3 or 4 at bats because he will give us some RBI’s. Better than what we have. I would trade for prospects and call it a year.
StingerSplash
June 27th, 2009
7:09 pm
Braves have now lost series to …
Orioles
Reds
Red Sox
Yankees
Red Sox.
And they split a series with Pittsburgh — right after losing a series to Milwaukee.
Talking about seeking your own level. They have sought, found and ensconced themselves in it. Mediocrity, not velvet, that is.
Shadetree
June 27th, 2009
7:10 pm
I enjoyed the 70’s and 80’s Braves more than I’ve enjoyed watching this crud.
Curtis Jones
June 27th, 2009
7:11 pm
I can’t imagine how putting David Ross on the field somewhere (1B, LF) could possibly make this team worse.
bigstack19
June 27th, 2009
7:12 pm
Shutout 10 times this season. Had 34 games where they have scored 4 runs or less with the emphasis being on less. In those games they are 4-30. There are no fixes for a team that can’t hit, and that can’t steal bases, and that can’t do the little things to manufacture runs and win games.
Shadetree
June 27th, 2009
7:14 pm
I can hear Skip now.
Braves stink!
Braves stink!
Braves stink!
mike
June 27th, 2009
7:15 pm
Maybe there’s a AA team ou there with a whole in their schedule the Braves could fill.
Shadetree
June 27th, 2009
7:15 pm
The Braves aren’t even a AA team.
Mark Bradley
June 27th, 2009
7:28 pm
And there’s more good news, folks. Tommy Hanson has the flu and is, per Bobby Cox, doubtful for tomorrow’s start. In which case Medlen would toe the slab.
No excuse.
June 27th, 2009
7:28 pm
Atlanta Braves baseball.
Uninspired. Anemic. A waste of time.
Shadetree
June 27th, 2009
7:31 pm
Mark,
What are they saying in the locker room. How embarassed are they? Has anybody given their paycheck back?